This invention relates to garbage disposers and in particular, to a new and improved upper housing for a garbage disposer.
A garbage disposer typically is mounted under the sink, with the upper housing of the disposer connected to the sink flange by a hush cushion. Often a dishwasher is installed adjacent the garbage disposer and it is desired to connect the dishwasher drain line to the grind chamber of the garbage disposer so that debris from the dishwasher will pass through the garbage disposer before entering the drain to the sewer.
In the past, a conventional upper housing for a garbage disposer is made as a casting, typically aluminum, and is provided with a large sink inlet passage at the top. A smaller lateral passage is also provided in the upper housing for connection to the line from the dishwasher. This passage is perpendicular to the sink inlet passage and is closed with a knockout type plug. This knockout plug serves to seal the dishwasher inlet line or spout.
At the time of installation of the garbage disposer, if a dishwasher is also to be used, this plug is knocked out with a screwdriver and hammer, and the flexible line from the dishwasher is connected to the spout. If no dishwasher is to be used, the plug is left in place so that there is no leakage from the grind chamber.
While this design has been satisfactory for use with castings, new processes for forming housings are being used, including stamping processes, and the conventional design for the upper housing is not particularly suited to such processes. Also, it is desirable to form the garbage disposer components defining the grind chamber of more durable materials and some of these materials are not adapted to casting procedures.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new an improved upper housing for a garbage disposer which can be produced by a casting or stamping. It is another object of the invention to provide such an upper housing having a large sink inlet passage and a small dishwasher inlet spout with the sink inlet passage and the dishwasher inlet spout disposed parallel to each other. An additional object is to provide such a housing with the spout having an integrally formed cap closing the inlet end of the spout, thereby providing the option of use with and without a dishwasher, with the cap positioned so that it can be removed by cutting or sawing rather than having to be shattered with a punch or screwdriver.
Other objects, advantages, features and results will more fully appear in the course of the following description.